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Partnership with Whanau Maori in Early Childhood Services

February 2012

Published 2012© Crown copyrightEducation Evaluation Reports978-0-478-38914-2 (pbk)978-0-478-38915-9 (html)978-0-478-38916-6 (pdf)978-0-478-38917-3 (MSWord)

ERO reports are published on the ERO web site – www.ero.govt.nz – and are available from

the Education Review Office National Office, Box 2799, Wellington 6140.

We welcome comments and suggestions on the issues raised in these reports.

Ko te Tamaiti te Putake o te Kaupapa The Child – the Heart of the Matter

Foreword

The whakataukı of the Education Review Office (ERO) demonstrates the importance we place on the educational achievement of our children and young people:

Ko te Tamaiti te Putake o te Kaupapa The Child – the Heart of the Matter

In our daily work we have the privilege of going into early childhood services and schools, giving us a current picture of what is happening throughout the country. We collate and analyse this information so that it can be used to benefit the education sector and, therefore, the children in our education system. ERO’s reports contribute sound information for work undertaken to support the Government’s policies.

The Government is committed to improving learning experiences for Maori and their whanau. Working in partnership with Maori is an essential part of this process, one that starts in the early years through early childhood education. This report highlights the need for early childhood services to move beyond building relationships to establishing culturally responsive partnerships with Maori children and their whanau.

Successful education relies on many people and organisations across the community working together for the benefit of children and young people. We trust the information in ERO’s evaluations will help them in their task.

Dr Graham Stoop Chief Review Officer February 2012

PaRtNERShiP With WhaNau MaORi iN EaRly ChildhOOd SERviCES

Contents

OvERviEW 1

Next Steps 2

iNtROduCtiON 3

Partnership and te Whariki 3

Previous evaluation and research studies 4

the significance of identity, language and culture in terms of partnership 5

MEthOdOlOgy 7

ERO’s framework for this evaluation 7

approach to this evaluation 7

FiNdiNgS 8

Part One – Findings Summary 8

Part two – the themes of effective partnership 12

CONCluSiON 20

NExt StEPS 21

aPPENdix 1: SERviCE tyPES 22

aPPENdix 2: PaRtNERShiP With WhaNau iN ECE SERviCES EvaluativE FRaMEWORk 23

aPPENdix 3: SElF-REviEW tOOl FOR PaRtNERShiP With WhaNau 28

aPPENdix 4: glOSSaRy 29


Overview

In May 2010 ERO’s report Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services identified that:

One of the biggest challenges for early childhood managers and educators is to understand, review and develop processes that enable them to listen, respect and respond to what parents and whanau of Maori children expect of the service. To make such a commitment, early childhood services have to find out about parents’ aspirations and expectations, and acknowledge and respond to these in authentic ways.1

In this evaluation Partnership with Whanau Maori in Early Childhood Services, ERO focussed on the extent to which:

•services understood and valued the identity, language and culture of Maori children and their whanau, particularly when the child and whanau enter the service

•managers and educators built positive relationships with the whanau of Maori children•each service worked in partnership with the whanau of Maori children.

Partnership with whanau Maori in early childhood education (ECE) means going beyond welcoming whanau and building relationships. Informal ‘chats over a cup of tea’ and catching up with whanau are not partnership. ERO found that while a significant proportion of early childhood services built positive relationships (78 percent) with whanau, only 10 percent had built effective and culturally responsive partnerships. The difference between a good relationship and a culturally responsive partnership is substantial for whanau. Conversely the view held by many educators that ‘all children should be treated the same’ typically fails to acknowledge the culture of Maori children.

Culturally responsive partnership is characterised by the ability of managers and educators to:

•listen to whanau Maori and respond appropriately to their aspirations•recognise and respect the diverse and unique perspectives of whanau Maori •involve whanau Maori in all aspects of management, programme planning,

implementation and evaluation•recognise that Maori culture is an advantage for children and their whanau•use the knowledge of Maori children and whanau to develop rich learning •appreciate that New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki is a document

based upon the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and partnership with whanau•use the skills and expertise that whanau Maori bring to the service.

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1 Education Review Office. (2010). Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services. p.32.


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ERO found that when a high level of partnership is achieved early childhood educators place themselves in the position of learner:

If I am responsive to Maori culture, I don’t have to be an expert ...[being] culturally responsive is not being an expert but listening to experts (Goren 2009, p. 54).2

Strong partnerships with whanau were evident when early childhood services had well articulated philosophies of working with whanau. They were evident when professional leaders understood whanau aspirations and worked with whanau to achieve their goals. ECE staff drew on Maori experts and their knowledge to improve their teaching strategies for Maori children. Some also effectively included whanau in self-review processes that examined the impact of the learning programme for Maori children and the quality of the service’s policies and procedures for whanau Maori.

Based on the findings of this evaluation, there needs to be considerable improvement in the way most services work with whanau Maori. Early childhood services need systematic self review to provide managers and educators with information about their relationships with whanau Maori and to develop respectful, collaborative and reciprocal partnerships. Professional development is also needed for most early childhood educators so that they can build partnerships with whanau, give full effect to Te Whariki and help Maori children achieve their potential.

NExt StEPSERO recommends that early childhood services:•work in partnership with whanau to ensure programmes appropriately promote

children’s language, culture and identity•use the report’s findings, self- review questions and Best Practice Indicators to review

the quality of their partnerships with whanau •identify and respond to the professional development educators require to improve

partnerships with whanau.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education identify ways to:•further professional learning and development and support so that early childhood

managers and leaders build genuine partnerships with Maori whanau, hapu and iwi•assist ECE services to practise partnership with whanau Maori to design and deliver a

culturally responsive curriculum. 2 Goren, P. (2009). How policy travels: making sense of Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success: The Education Strategy 2008–2012. Fullbright New Zealand.


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introduction

ERO is committed to improving the quality of Maori learners’ educational outcomes. ERO’s report Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services (2010) identified that more work was required in early childhood services to strengthen partnerships with Maori children’s parents and whanau. This evaluation builds on that report’s findings. It identifies how services are developing partnerships between whanau and educators and using these partnerships to improve the participation in, and quality of, early childhood education for Maori children and their whanau.

Early childhood education has a key role in building strong learning foundations as referred to in Ka Hikitia-Managing for Success.3 The Government strategy gives priority in the foundation years to continuing to increase Maori children’s participation in early childhood education and improving the quality of learning experiences for them and their whanau. The strategy includes a focus on improving how the system supports Maori learners to realise their potential. Promoting ‘Maori cultural distinctiveness is an expected outcome of Ka Hikitia-Managing for Success where particular recognition is given to:

•the potential of every Maori child•that ‘being Maori’ is an advantage•all Maori learners are inherently capable.

Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success proposes that ‘better outcomes’ for Maori learners is likely when the language, culture and identity of Maori children is acknowledged and ‘productive partnership’ between Maori learners, whanau, iwi and educators is characterised by working together and sharing power.

PaRtNERShiP aNd tE WhaRiki The partnership principle expressed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi guides early education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The analogy of a whariki4 to illustrate the interconnectedness of the four principles and five strands of the early childhood curriculum (Te Whariki)5 reflects an inherently Maori way to conceptualise a curriculum and promotes the notion of a culturally responsive partnership between whanau and educators for the benefit of Maori children.

Partnership is especially important for Maori children because of the central role of whanau in building children’s sense of identity. Through whanau children develop their understanding of the world and their place in te ao Maori. The aspirations whanau have for their children are a starting point for educators when developing teaching and learning programmes.

3 Ministry of Education. (2007). Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success. The Maori Education Strategy 2008–2012.

4 whariki – woven mat

5 Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early Childhood Curriculum. Learning Media. Wellington.

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From this basis, genuine partnership enables early childhood services and whanau to work together to create a culturally responsive curriculum and a high quality teaching and learning environment for Maori children. Such partnership requires a significant shift in thinking and practice for many early childhood services. In their research Ritchie and Rau describe the change in the following way:

[Partnership] requires teachers to shift from their traditional role of ‘expert’ and become collaborators alongside children. In this paradigm, collaboration with whanau/parents extends throughout the entire early childhood programme.6

Partnership with whanau Maori in an early childhood education setting means going beyond welcoming whanau and building relationships. It extends well beyond informal ‘chats over a cup of tea’ and catching up with whanau. Partnership requires early childhood service educators and whanau to develop a shared understanding of how to work together to design a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of Maori children and aspirations of their whanau.

To engage Maori learners and accelerate their progress, educators must consciously plan and use teaching and learning strategies and contexts that are linked to whanau contexts. Learning environments are engaging, responsive and relevant when Maori children can see, hear and feel their culture around them. Improving the proficiency of educators to use te reo Maori and practise tikanga appropriately is critical to achieving a learning environment that is responsive to Maori. Whanau Maori can help educators understand these in relation to the diverse needs of Maori in their centre. When this occurs, educators validate the knowledge Maori children and whanau bring to the centre and develop richer learning contexts.

PREviOuS EvaluatiON aNd RESEaRCh StudiESThe report, Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services 2010, stated that a key challenge for early childhood services was responding appropriately to the aspirations and expectations of parents and whanau of Maori children. Shifting managers’ and educators’ understanding of the need to listen, respect and respond to what parents and whanau of Maori children expect of the service was one of the biggest challenges.7

The report recommended that early childhood services review their processes for consulting and communicating with whanau Maori so they can be more responsive to their aspirations and expectations. Building managers’ and educators’ capabilities to improve the quality of partnership with Maori parents and whanau Maori was identified as a challenge for the sector.

6 Ritchie, J., & Rau, C. (2006). Whakawhanaungatanga-Partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood care and education. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/whakawhanaungatanga-partnership-in-bicultural-development

7 Education Review Office. (May 2010). Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services. New Zealand Government. p.2.


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thE SigNiFiCaNCE OF idENtity, laNguagE aNd CultuRE iN tERMS OF

PaRtNERShiPUnderstanding the significance of identity, language and culture for Maori children and their whanau is critical to develop practices that will support successful participation for them. Ritchie and Rau report that:

...if we are able to honour the cultural specificities that Maori children bring with them, this affirmation of their unique identities, or ‘being-ness’ will nurture their sense of belonging, providing both affirmation of their contributions and support for their transitioning within and between educational settings. Reciprocal collaboration with tamariki and whanau Maori enacts our commitment to honouring the particularities of cultural differences, inviting us into a dialogue in which we may find ourselves in a privileged position as we are entrusted with new and deeper understanding.8

An exemplar case study included in the Ministry of Education publication Te Whatu Pokeka9 identified whanau/whanaungatanga as a key to developing an assessment framework and practice in early childhood education settings. It states:

The child is part of the whanau and the whanau is part of the child. One cannot be separated from the other. The child learns within the context of whanau, which is a real life context. It is not a socially contrived environment such as the early childhood service. Learning occurs first in the whanau and it is the whanau that determines the learning that is valued. It does this sometimes in association with the early childhood centre, and sometimes not.10

Educators who understand a Maori worldview of the child surrounded by whanau, hapu and iwi have a platform to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate the unique skills, knowledge and expertise that Maori children and their whanau bring to the service. Developing partnerships should therefore involve welcoming, transition and relationship building. Transition into the service is a critical time for both services and whanau to practise partnership. Research indicates that:

Whanau Maori will begin to feel comfortable about contributing to the centre’s programme when the environment and practices give visibility and positive status to Maori values, language and culture.11

During the writing of this report the Ministry of Education published Tataiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Maori Learners.12 This document describes related behaviours for teachers at different stages of their teaching career, and what results

8 Ritchie, J., & Rau,C. (2010). Poipoia te tamaiti kia tu Tangata: Identity, Belonging and Transition. The First Years: Nga Tau Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education. 12(1). p.16

9 Ministry of Education. (2009). Te Whatu Pokeka: Kaupapa Maori Assessment for Learning Early Childhood Exemplars. Learning Media. Wellington.

10 Ministry of Education. (2009). Te Whatu Pokeka: Kaupapa Maori Assessment for Learning Early Childhood Exemplars. Learning Media. Wellington. p. 65

11 Nuttall, J. (2003). Weaving Te Whariki: Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum document in theory and practice. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

12 Ministry of Education. (2011). Tataiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Maori Learners. Wellington.


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could look like for Maori learners and their whanau. The competencies are about knowing, respecting, and working with Maori learners and their whanau and iwi so their worldview, aspirations and knowledge are an integral part of teaching and learning and of the culture of the early childhood service (or school).13 Early childhood educators may use Tataiako as a starting point to develop culturally appropriate and responsive practice, including partnership with whanau Maori.

13 Ministry of Education. (2011). Tataiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Maori Learners. Wellington. p. 4.


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Methodology

ERO evaluated how ECE services work in partnership with whanau of Maori children in 374 early childhood services. The sample was representative of the national profile of service types.14 The data was gathered during each service’s regular education review in Term 4, 2010 and Term 1, 2011.

ERO’S FRaMEWORk FOR thiS EvaluatiONThe evaluation focussed on three questions:•To what extent does the service understand and value the identity, language and

culture of Maori children and their whanau, particularly when they transition to the service?

•To what extent have managers and educators built relationships with whanau Maori?•To what extent does the service work in partnership with whanau Maori?

aPPROaCh tO thiS EvaluatiONEvidence was gathered during scheduled education reviews of early childhood services and included:•meetings with teachers/educators at the service•meetings with the manager(s) of the service•conversations with whanau of Maori children•observations of interactions between Maori whanau and teachers/educators, and

between teachers/educators and Maori children•observations of the programme in action•documentation related to the service’s operation and to the learning of individuals and

groups of Maori children.

Review officers provided descriptive information for each key question. A framework with best practice indicators15 was used to support reviewers’ judgements for each service.

14 See Appendix 1 for information on service types.

15 See Appendix 3 Partnership with Whanau in Early Childhood Services Evaluative Framework

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Findings

The findings of this evaluation are divided into two parts. Part one presents the summary findings in terms of each evaluation question. This section provides an overview of the proportion of early childhood services that showed effective, welcoming relationships and overall partnership with whanau.

Part two discusses the themes that have emerged in this evaluation. It focuses on the nature of effective partnerships with whanau and provides more descriptive detail of early childhood education practice, especially effective practice.

PaRt ONE – FiNdiNgS SuMMaRy

valuing identity, language and culture – what did ERO ask?To what extent does this service understand and value the identity, language and culture of Maori children and their whanau, particularly when they transition to the service?

ERO examined:•welcoming protocols and practices of services for Maori children and their whanau•how well the service understood the concept of whanau in a Maori context•what the service knew about the success of its transition practices for Maori •what the service knew about the identity of Maori children and their whanau

including whakapapa, whanau, hapu and iwi connections.

What did ERO find?

Figure 1: the percentage of services that valued the language, culture and identity of Maori children.

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Q1: The extent to which a service understands and values the language, culture and identity of Maori children

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Just under a quarter of services had a high level of understanding of Maori children’s language, culture and identity. While most services were welcoming and warm to all children and parents entering the service, Maori were not acknowledged in a way that promoted their unique place as tangata whenua. Few services practised mihimihi for whanau Maori or invited extended members of whanau to participate in the service’s welcoming and settling protocols.

Opportunities to make meaningful connections with whanau Maori were limited to the completion of enrolment forms rather than making time for educators or other members of the service to share their whanau, hapu or iwi connections. This process of whakawhanaungatanga was not well understood by most early childhood educators. Maori children and whanau were generally subsumed into the service’s generic culture and identity.

Relationships – what did ERO ask?To what extent have managers and educators built relationships with whanau of Maori children?

ERO examined how educators at each early childhood service:•demonstrated responsive and reciprocal relationships with whanau Maori•included whanau in decisions about children’s learning programme•knew and understood the local Maori community•encouraged and supported whanau Maori participation.

What did ERO find?

Figure 2: the percentage to which managers and educators have built positive relationships with whanau of Maori children

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Q2: The extent to which managers and educators have built relationships with whanau ofMaori children

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Early childhood services were slightly better at building relationships with whanau Maori than they were at recognising and supporting Maori language, culture and identity.

Figure 2 shows that just over a quarter of services had well developed relationships with whanau Maori. Educators had achieved this through:•developing an understanding of their local context, as well as whanau and iwi histories•sharing responsibility with whanau for the education and care of children•practicing a consultative approach to decision-making with whanau.

A significant feature of these services was their success at building trust and confidence with whanau. Intergenerational involvement was strong where kuia, kaumatua, aunties and uncles, as well as parents of Maori children, were visible and present in the centre’s life. Whanau expressed a strong sense of belonging and inclusion when they were invited to share their skills and knowledge.

Most services had not developed strong relationships with whanau Maori. While services valued and sought to provide warm and welcoming environments for children and whanau, most did not attempt to build mutually beneficial relationships with whanau. Educators were yet to move beyond ‘Pakeha’ ways of engaging with whanau Maori. Some educators assumed that when Maori whanau had ‘not told them otherwise’ they were happy with the service. When this occurred the service was less likely to be responsive to the needs and aspirations of whanau Maori.

Partnership – what did ERO ask?To what extent does the service work in partnership with whanau of Maori children?

When investigating ECE services’ partnerships with whanau Maori ERO considered how:•partnership was evident in self-review processes and practice•the service responded to whanau aspirations•whanau were included in conversations about children’s learning and development•the programme reflects Maori language, culture, history, values and practices.


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What did ERO find?

Figure 3: the percentage to which a service works in partnership with whanau of Maori children

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Figure 3 shows that only 10 percent of services built a high level of partnership with whanau Maori. These services demonstrated a level of partnership that included the sharing of expertise. In these services, roles for whanau were well defined and understood. In many cases these roles were negotiated between the whanau and the service. Whanau participated in goal setting and self-review processes, as well as decision-making at all levels of the service. Services used Maori knowledge to inform decisions rather than trying to align decisions to Maori knowledge after they were made. For example, whanau reported that their perspectives were sought during the development of policy and procedure.

A significant feature of effective partnership involved managers and educators listening to whanau and responding to their needs and aspirations. Self review of the services was robust and reflected a desire to improve outcomes for Maori children and whanau. In some cases the service provided opportunities for whanau Maori to meet and develop plans for supporting the service.

In contrast, while most services demonstrated a desire to support Maori children and whanau they lacked the necessary knowledge and skill to move beyond welcoming relationships. Most early childhood services did not build significant partnerships with whanau Maori where educators and whanau make decisions together about the management of the service or the teaching and learning programme.


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An important factor that prevented partnership with whanau was the belief that all children and whanau should be ‘treated the same’. This view was prevalent across most early childhood services, but what it means can be unclear. While it ostensibly values all children having high quality education, it is often accompanied by the assumption that Maori children and their whanau do not need to be treated outside the ‘normal’ (Pakeha) modes of operating.

As a result many services chose to inform parents about aspects of the programme rather than seek their advice. Some services demonstrated little understanding of the importance of a child’s whakapapa, or of the significance of making connections through whakapapa for Maori. Most educators subsequently maintained a position of education expert rather than sharing responsibility for children’s learning with whanau and giving full effect to the partnership ideals of Te Whariki.

PaRt tWO – thE thEMES OF EFFECtivE PaRtNERShiPThis section discusses the key themes that have emerged from the data gathered for each of the evaluative questions. These themes help to describe highly effective practice. The themes are:•Culture of the service•Philosophy•Self review•Professional leadership•Te ao Maori and the programme•Whanau connections•Utilising Maori expertise.

Culture of the serviceWhere the early childhood service or parent organisation was committed to biculturalism as expressed in Te Whariki and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, practice was more likely to promote partnerships with whanau Maori. These services acknowledged the skills and expertise whanau brought to the service, demonstrated a desire to make connections based on the Maori concepts of whanaungatanga and whakapapa and showed a willingness to be guided by Maori in developing teaching and learning programmes about Maori. Ritchie, who describes ‘Tiriti-based’ practice in early childhood education settings, supports ERO’s finding:


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... Tiriti-based enactment that honours the relationships between educators and whanau/families as central to the learning process and educational programme.16

Self-review question for your serviceTo what extent does the service recognise and build on the knowledge and expertise Maori children and their whanau bring to the service?

PhilosophyThe importance of biculturalism and Te Tiriti o Waitangi were at the forefront of early childhood education philosophies that articulated a high level of commitment to Maori children and their whanau. These values and beliefs underpinned the centre philosophy and informed strategic planning including targeted professional development and learning for educators, and programme planning for children.

Well developed philosophies that support bicultural practice in early childhood services:•acknowledge the importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi•reflect a clear commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand•seek to realise the potential of Maori children and their whanau•aim to work in partnership with whanau Maori.

A handful of services had a clearly articulated philosophy with a commitment to Maori children. Whanau aspirations were reflected in the service philosophy and Maori values and beliefs promoted. Many had attempted to acknowledge Maori as tangata whenua and understood their responsibility to ensure that all children benefit from a bicultural programme as expressed in Te Whariki.

However, most early childhood services were either at the beginning stages or had not begun developing plans and actions. These services showed limited evidence of plans aligned to a well articulated philosophy to guide practice.

Self-review questions for your serviceHow well are the aspirations and goals of whanau understood by educators and reflected in the learning of Maori children?

To what extent does the service value and implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles?

Self ReviewIn the 2010 report Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services ERO recommended that early childhood services:•develop or review their processes for consulting and communicating with whanau

Maori to be more responsive to their aspirations and expectations•strengthen self review to enable robust evaluation of learning programmes’ impact for

Maori children.

16 Ritchie, J. (2008). Enacting Tiriti-based practice in early childhood education in Aotearoa. Paper presented at the TEFANZ conference, Hamilton, 2008.


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In the few services where self review with whanau was a strength, managers and educators:•actively sought whanau aspirations and were guided by these when planning•carefully considered how the services could appropriately reflect and acknowledge the

children’s culture•were responsive to the need for diverse learning pathways to meet Maori children and

their whanau aspirations.

Self review that provided evidence of initiatives’ impact on Maori children and whanau, and included whanau voice in findings’ analysis, continued to be a challenge for services:

Teachers review centre practices and challenge their own assumptions regarding how to build ongoing partnerships with whanau. They also review the impact of teaching strategies on Maori children and their whanau, and make changes as a result. They advocate in the community to ensure that whanau have equitable opportunities to be involved in the service. Teachers make time to talk with whanau to find out about aspirations and expectations and how their parents want their children to do well.

Self review regarding the extent of partnership with whanau was an area for development in most services. While services gathered information from whanau, most self review focussed on te reo and tikanga Maori practices in the programme, developing relationships and establishing a sense of belonging for Maori children and whanau. Partnership was not evident during self review as few services included whanau in the analysis of findings and development of plans.

Self-review question for your serviceTo what extent are whanau involved in the self review of the service?

How responsive is the service to the diverse aspirations and goals of Maori children and their whanau?

Professional leadershipProfessional leadership in an early childhood service that builds relationships and partnership is critical for improving the quality of early childhood education for Maori children and whanau. In the context of partnerships, effective leaders know about collaborative approaches to working with whanau and involve them in meaningful and appropriate decision-making processes. This is a significant shift from gathering whanau ideas to sharing decision-making with them.

Where professional leadership was most effective, educators actively encouraged whanau members to take a lead in a range of initiatives. Some included whanau in self review and policy development. Whanau have supported educators to implement the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and guided the centre on including te reo and tikanga Maori in the programme.


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Managers and educators with links to Maori in the local community benefitted from a relationship founded on reciprocity and respect. They modelled positive relationships and partnership with whanau Maori. The programme and professional knowledge of educators was enhanced because of the contributions that whanau made and children benefitted from a programme that reflected their culture, values and beliefs.

Professional learning and development for educators was a priority in highly effective services. Educators were encouraged to examine their own practice and to identify ways to improve their work with Maori children and whanau. They challenged their assumptions about children and learning. They also worked hard to see learning from a Maori view. Educators were open and receptive to feedback from Maori whanau, Maori educators and Maori from the local community.

Unfortunately most centres demonstrated limited partnership with whanau Maori. Ninety percent did not work in partnership with whanau Maori and expected that Maori children and their whanau would ‘fit in’ to the centre’s culture. Some made deficit assumptions about why Maori were not involved, such as claiming that Maori did not value education. Others expressed views that demonstrated their lack of understanding of whanau skill, knowledge and expertise such as ‘whanau are incapable of helping with learning’. The professional leaders in these services were driven by the notion that all children and families must be ‘treated the same.’

The view of partnership held by these services was limited and did not extend past good relationships. Most professional leaders in early childhood services had yet to realise the potential of partnership to provide a bicultural programme that fully supported the language, culture and identity of Maori children and their whanau, and to increase Maori in early childhood education. Many interactions and relationships established with Maori failed to reflect Maori ways of interacting and relationship building. Educators and managers waited for Maori to come to them, and face-to-face communication was limited so services assumed that Maori whanau were uninterested in developing relationships.

Self-review questions for your serviceHow confident is the service’s leadership in building and maintaining effective partnerships with whanau?

What professional learning and development would support the service’s leaders and educators to build effective partnerships with whanau?


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te ao Maori and the programmeERO evaluated how well educators understood the identity, language and culture of Maori children and their whanau and used partnership with whanau to improve the programme and physical environment.

Services that demonstrated a clear commitment to the Te Tiriti o Waitangi principle of partnership:•provided a programme and environment with a range of tikanga practices such as

mihimihi, powhiri, tuakana and teina•ensured learning programmes linked to te ao Maori•used Maori experts from within the centre and the local community.

A quarter of services valued Maori children’s language, culture and identity to a high extent. One way they did this was through using te reo Maori in a meaningful and contextual way throughout the day. Educators in these services integrated te reo Maori as a natural part of their language when interacting with children and whanau. These services recognised competent users of te reo Maori as a significant resource. Educators who confidently used words and phrases in the context of children’s play also demonstrated a commitment to ongoing learning of te reo Maori. These centres understood and practised partnership with whanau Maori.

Most service’s physical environments had some reflection of Maori including basic words or phrases, charts, waiata and karakia. These are described by Ritchie and Rau17 as “superficial icons” in that they can easily become token gestures of inclusiveness. In this evaluation they lacked the integration of te ao Maori in everyday interactions and the deeper valuing of tangata whenua, whanau aspirations and the partnership relationship implicit in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The extent to which the physical environment reflects Maori beyond the superficial icons is linked to the managers’, leaders’ and educators’ commitment to a bicultural programme.

Most practices ERO observed reflect a surface level understanding of te reo and tikanga Maori. To demonstrate the special place of te reo Maori educators must speak it throughout the day in the context of children’s learning and play. Services must also promote with whanau the benefits of a programme that positively reflects the language, culture and identity of Maori children.

A significant number of early childhood services had little or no expression of te ao Maori in the programme. Limited te reo Maori was found when educators could not go beyond basic greetings, commands and Maori terms for colours and counting. No attempt to learn from whanau or use whanau knowledge and skill was evident in these services.

17 Ritchie,J. & Rau, C. (2005). Whakawhanaungatanga-Partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood care and education. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/whakawhanaungatanga-partnership-in-bicultural-development


Page 16

Self-review question for your serviceTo what extent is Maori language, culture and identity integrated in daily interactions?

Whanau connectionsSome service documents and practice were beginning to reflect te ao Maori. These services valued and respected whanau as repositories of knowledge of te reo and tikanga Maori. They acknowledged children’s whakapapa and practised whakawhanaungatanga during the welcoming and initial engagement process with whanau. Whanau reported that when a service’s culture was welcoming and inclusive they felt like valued members of its community.

One service had established a Maori parents’ group where whanau actively helped increase educators and teachers’ knowledge of tikanga. Where Maori educators were also members in the teaching and/or management teams, their skills and knowledge were effectively used to improve non-Maori educator’s knowledge of te reo and tikanga Maori. In some cases, Maori educators were significant leaders in a whole service’s overall approach to Maori language, culture and the identity of Maori children and their whanau.

In many services, managers and educators had little understanding of the significance of whakapapa for Maori children and their whanau. Consequently they were not able to use whakapapa to make connections between themselves and whanau or build relationships grounded in mutual respect for identity, language and culture. Relationships with whanau were limited as whanau saw no connection to their identity, language and culture.

Self-review question for your serviceWhat do services know about how whanau view the effectiveness of the service in supporting their aspirations for language, culture and identity?

utilising Maori expertiseMaori educators with a strong sense of identity and culture as Maori made a positive impact on a service’s ability to work in partnership with whanau Maori. Maori educators significantly supported, modelled and promoted a bicultural programme. They facilitated strong relationships with whanau Maori that are collaborative and reflect partnership. In these services the identity, language and culture of Maori children and whanau was valued to a high extent. One of the biggest challenges for early childhood managers and educators was to move beyond ‘normal’ (Pakeha) ways of engaging with whanau and to listen and work with whanau.


Page 17

Maori teachers, whanau members and iwi representatives who the service identified as having a significant impact on the programme were used for their strong knowledge of te reo and tikanga Maori. Maori educators effectively showed non-Maori colleagues how to engage in responsive and genuine conversations with whanau Maori. They demonstrated how to make and build on whakapapa connections and the day-to-day practice of whanaungatanga and manaakitanga throughout the centre’s life. They were able to make the voice of heard and understood in a Maori way. Maori educators were also skilled at drawing on whanau and iwi members’ knowledge, skill and expertise to enhance the programme and promote inclusive, collective responsibility for children’s teaching and learning. Services with Maori teachers said that all educators benefitted professionally from the support and guidance they provided.

Self-review questions for your serviceHow well does the service access and use expertise on Maori language, culture and identity?

How well are non-Maori educators developing the skills to effectively engage with different whanau?

Example of an effective partnershipThis early childhood service is a branch of a community trust and operates on a holistic model of care and education for children. The service philosophy is centred on tikanga Maori and is underpinned by the centre goals and the principles of Te Whariki. It clearly articulates a commitment to “provide ongoing learning opportunities for all” through whanau participation and in the “dual cultures of Aotearoa.” Educators have strong relationships with the three local iwi with whom they meet regularly.

Educators are regularly challenged and motivated to provide a positive learning environment for Maori children and their whanau. An annual symposium where eminent Maori educators and academics present their ideas is organised by the trust and all teachers from the early childhood education service attend. Presenters have included Mason Durie, Wally Penetito, Russell Bishop, Rose Pere and Bentham Ohia. Educators at the centre report high levels of motivation and interest from the symposium.

The physical environment strongly reflects traditional Maori teaching styles where everyone is considered both a learner and a teacher regardless of age or position in the service. Maori contexts are used appropriately in the programme as the basis for learning. The educational programme draws on and makes connections to whakapapa, waiata, whakatauki, korero tawhito and whaikorero.


Page 18

Partnership with whanau is meaningfully enhanced by educators who:•are visible members of the local community and have a strong understanding of the

historical and current context •actively understand and value the diverse aspirations of whanau for their children•practise high levels of cultural confidence and competence in te reo me nga tikanga

Maori•seek whanau advice and guidance about how to appropriately practise tikanga in the

context of the early childhood programme•engage in regular formal and informal discussions with whanau about what they

want for their children and collaboratively develop individual learning plans with whanau

•ensure educators from the service visit and encourage whanau to participate in the programme

•include all members of a child’s extended whanau in the programme, utilising the skills and knowledge of all generations

•help whanau who may have difficulty engaging with school personnel and support them to adjust when children are transitioning to school.


Page 19

Conclusion

Partnership with whanau Maori needs to be reconsidered by those in early childhood education. Maori have a growing expectation of an education system that promotes partnership with whanau that is culturally responsive, as Penetito explains:

“If there is an emerging educational vision among Maori, it is the desire for an education system that enhances what it means to be Maori.”18

This evaluation shows that there is a lack of understanding in early childhood education about the nature and importance of culturally responsive partnerships with Maori. ERO found that educators were yet to move beyond good relationships with Maori and ‘Pakeha’ ways of engaging with whanau. ECE educators were limited in their ability to develop genuine partnerships and often deferred to the view that ‘all children should be treated the same’. While claiming to be concerned with high quality education, this position fails to acknowledge the importance of the culture brought by Maori children.

Only genuine partnership can give full effect to the curriculum. Partnership between whanau Maori and educators in early childhood services enhances what it means to be Maori and to succeed as Maori. The partnership principle of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is evident in Te Whariki which encourages early childhood services to:

...include Maori people, places, and artefacts and opportunities to learn and use the Maori language through social interaction.19

ERO found that a high percentage of services do not do enough to value and acknowledge children’s language, culture and identity particularly when Maori children and their whanau transition to the service. While most services were welcoming and warm to all children and parents, Maori were not visibly acknowledged or reflected in a way that promotes the unique place of Maori as tangata whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand. Many services displayed superficial te reo and tikanga but few did this within a framework of whanau partnership and to the depth that suitably valued te ao Maori.

cOn

cLu

sIO

n

18 Penetito (2002) cited in Ministry of Education. (2009). Ka Hikitia: Managing for Success Maori Education Strategy. p.18.

19 Ministry of Educaton. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki mo nga mokopuna o Aoteara. Early childhood curriculum. Learning Media. Wellington. p 43.


Page 20

Next steps

ERO recommends that early childhood services:•work in partnership with whanau to ensure programmes appropriately promote

children’s language, culture and identity•use the report’s findings, self-review questions and Best Practice Indicators to review

the quality of their partnerships with whanau •identify and respond to the professional development educators require to improve

partnerships with whanau.

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education identify ways to:•develop professional learning and development and support so that early childhood

managers and leaders build genuine partnerships with Maori whanau, hapu and iwi•assist ECE services to practise partnership with whanau Maori to design and deliver a

culturally responsive curriculum.

nEx

t st

Eps


Page 21

appendix 1: Service types

ERO evaluated partnership with whanau in all services that had a regular ERO education review in Term 4, 2010 and Term 1, 2011.

The table shows that the sample has slightly less kindergartens than the national percentage, half the number of playcentres and greater number of education and care services.

The difference between the sample and national figures is not statistically significant.20

Service type Number in study

Percentage of sample

National percentage21

Kindergartens 44 12 16

Playcentres 18 5 12

Education and Care 276 74 64

Home-based Networks 36 9 8

374 100 100

20 The difference between observed and expected values was tested using a Chi-square test.

21 The national percentage of each service type is based on the total population of early childhood services as at 1 July 2011. For this study it excludes casual education & care, hospital based services and Te Kohanga Reo.

App

End

Ix 1


Page 22

ap

pen

dix

2:

Part

ner

ship

wit

h W

han

au i

n E

arly

Ch

ildh

oo

d S

ervi

ces

Eval

uat

ive

Fram

ewo

rk

inve

stig

ativ

e Pr

om

pts

Bes

t Pr

acti

ce i

nd

icat

ors

Eva

lua

tiv

E Q

uES

tiO

N 1

to w

hat

ext

ent

do

es t

his

ser

vice

u

nd

erst

and

an

d v

alu

e th

e id

enti

ty,

lan

gu

age

and

cu

ltu

re o

f M

aori

ch

ildre

n a

nd

th

eir

wh

anau

p

arti

cula

rly

wh

en t

he

child

an

d w

han

au

tran

siti

on

to

th

e se

rvic

e?

4=to

a g

reat

ex

ten

t

3= t

o s

om

e ex

ten

t

2= l

imit

ed

exte

nt

1 =

no

ne

How

doe

s th

e se

rvic

e en

sure

tha

t ch

ildre

n an

d w

hana

u fe

el

wel

com

e? C

onsi

der

tran

siti

on p

ract

ices

– H

ow d

oes

the

serv

ice

wel

com

e M

aori

ch

ildre

n an

d th

eir

wha

nau?

– H

ow w

ell d

oes

the

serv

ice

unde

rsta

nd t

he

conc

ept

of w

hana

u in

a

Mao

ri c

onte

xt?

Firs

t im

pres

sion

s ar

e w

elco

min

g. M

aori

lang

uage

and

cul

ture

is h

ighl

y an

d m

eani

ngfu

lly v

isib

le in

the

ph

ysic

al e

nvir

onm

ent.

Wel

com

ing

prot

ocol

s ar

e de

cide

d up

on w

ith

wha

nau

Mao

ri a

nd p

ract

ised

in a

Mao

ri a

ppro

pria

te w

ay.

Edu

cato

rs s

pend

sig

nifi

cant

tim

e ta

lkin

g w

ith

and

liste

ning

to

wha

nau.

The

re is

a s

pace

in t

he c

entr

e w

here

wha

nau

can

sit

and

talk

, be

wit

h th

eir

child

and

be

wit

h ad

ults

.

Edu

cato

rs li

sten

(de

eply

) to

wha

t w

hana

u ar

e sa

ying

.

Edu

cato

rs g

ive

wha

nau

tim

e to

fee

l com

fort

able

to

wan

t to

tal

k ab

out

thei

r ch

ild.

Edu

cato

rs u

nder

stan

d th

at t

rans

itio

n is

a p

roce

ss.

Edu

cato

rs a

nd m

anag

ers

revi

ew a

nd r

efle

ct o

n th

eir

tran

siti

on p

ract

ices

and

see

k to

mak

e im

prov

emen

ts f

or t

he b

enef

it o

f w

hana

u an

d th

eir

child

/chi

ldre

n. T

hey

gath

er n

arra

tive

evi

denc

e to

ev

alua

te t

he e

ffec

tive

ness

of

tran

siti

on p

roce

dure

s fo

r M

aori

chi

ldre

n an

d th

eir

wha

nau.

Ide

ntif

ying

an

d re

mov

ing

barr

iers

to

succ

essf

ul t

rans

itio

n is

evi

dent

.

The

ser

vice

has

doc

umen

ted

expe

ctat

ions

and

sys

tem

s fo

r m

anag

ing

posi

tive

tra

nsit

ion

proc

esse

s.

Wha

t do

es t

he s

ervi

ce

know

abo

ut t

he

succ

ess

of it

s tr

ansi

tion

pr

acti

ces?

– H

ow h

ave

they

re

spon

ded?

Edu

cato

rs d

emon

stra

te w

arm

, res

pect

ful r

elat

ions

hips

wit

h M

aori

chi

ldre

n an

d th

eir

wha

nau.

Edu

cato

rs s

uspe

nd ju

dgem

ent

abou

t w

hana

u en

gage

men

t.

Edu

cato

rs r

ecog

nise

tha

t th

eir

role

is t

o en

sure

tha

t th

e m

ana/

pres

tige

of

the

child

is m

aint

aine

d.

Edu

cato

rs s

eek

to b

uild

rel

atio

nshi

ps w

ith

wha

nau

Mao

ri a

nd t

heir

chi

ld/c

hild

ren.

Wha

nau

expr

ess

a st

rong

sen

se o

f be

long

ing

and

feel

val

ued

for

thei

r co

ntri

buti

ons

to t

he s

ervi

ce.

Wha

nau

repo

rt t

hat

ther

e is

a g

ood

mat

ch b

etw

een

the

valu

es in

Mao

ri h

omes

and

the

EC

E s

etti

ng.

Wha

t do

es t

he s

ervi

ce

know

abo

ut t

he c

hild

’s

pepe

ha, w

haka

papa

, ha

pu a

nd iw

i co

nnec

tion

s?

Edu

cato

rs f

ind

out

abou

t th

e M

aori

chi

ld (

wha

kapa

pa, c

onte

xt a

nd c

onne

ctio

ns).

Edu

cato

rs k

now

, und

erst

and

and

ackn

owle

dge

wha

t is

impo

rtan

t fo

r M

aori

.

Edu

cato

rs s

hare

the

ir w

haka

papa

, con

text

and

con

nect

ions

wit

h w

hana

u.

Edu

cato

rs v

alue

and

res

pect

wha

t M

aori

chi

ldre

n an

d w

hana

u br

ing

to t

he s

ervi

ce.

Edu

cato

rs u

nder

stan

d th

e pl

ace

of t

he M

aori

chi

ld w

ithi

n hi

s/he

r w

ider

wha

nau.

Edu

cato

rs u

nder

stan

d th

at M

aori

chi

ldre

n co

me

from

div

erse

bac

kgro

unds

and

con

text

s.

Edu

cato

rs m

aint

ain

an h

olis

tic

view

of

the

Mao

ri c

hild

and

his

/her

wha

nau.

App

End

Ix 2


Page 23

inve

stig

ativ

e Pr

om

pts

Bes

t Pr

acti

ce i

nd

icat

ors

Eva

lua

tiv

E Q

uES

tiO

N 2

to w

hat

ex

ten

t h

ave

man

ager

s an

d

edu

cato

rs b

uilt

re

lati

on

ship

s w

ith

wh

anau

of

Mao

ri c

hild

ren

?

How

doe

s th

e se

rvic

e de

mon

stra

te r

espo

nsiv

e an

d re

cipr

ocal

re

lati

onsh

ips?

Edu

cato

rs a

llow

tim

e an

d sp

ace

for

Mao

ri c

hild

ren

and

thei

r w

hana

u to

dev

elop

goo

d re

lati

onsh

ips

wit

h ed

ucat

ors.

Edu

cato

rs a

re b

uild

ing

thei

r un

ders

tand

ing

and

awar

enes

s of

bic

ultu

ralis

m a

nd s

trat

egie

s fo

r de

velo

ping

rec

ipro

cal r

elat

ions

hips

.

Edu

cato

rs u

se s

elf

revi

ew t

o ex

amin

e an

d im

prov

e th

eir

prac

tice

for

bui

ldin

g an

d su

stai

ning

res

pons

ive

and

reci

proc

al r

elat

ions

hips

wit

h w

hana

u M

aori

. The

y kn

ow w

hat

the

barr

iers

are

to

build

ing

rela

tion

ship

s w

ith

wha

nau

Mao

ri a

nd a

ddre

ss t

hem

. The

y re

cogn

ise

how

rel

atio

nshi

ps a

re n

egot

iate

d an

d de

velo

ped

(‘po

wer

’ con

cept

is u

nder

stoo

d).

The

re is

an

abse

nce

of d

efic

it t

hink

ing

amon

g ed

ucat

ors.

Edu

cato

rs d

o no

t tr

ivia

lise

or d

emon

stra

te t

oken

ism

.

Edu

cato

rs h

ave

a go

od u

nder

stan

ding

of

loca

l con

text

s, w

hana

u an

d iw

i his

tori

es.

Edu

cato

rs a

nd w

hana

u ex

pres

s a

shar

ed r

espo

nsib

ility

for

edu

cati

on a

nd c

are.

Edu

cato

rs r

elat

e to

Mao

ri c

hild

ren

and

thei

r w

hana

u in

con

sist

ent,

con

stan

t an

d co

nstr

ucti

ve w

ays.

How

doe

s th

e se

rvic

e in

clud

e w

hana

u in

m

akin

g de

cisi

ons

abou

t ch

ildre

n’s

lear

ning

and

th

e pr

ogra

mm

e?

Edu

cato

rs u

se a

div

erse

ran

ge o

f co

mm

unic

atio

n st

rate

gies

.

Edu

cato

rs f

ind

way

s to

incl

ude

and

invo

lve

wha

nau

in p

lann

ing

for

and

asse

ssin

g ch

ildre

n’s

lear

ning

an

d de

velo

pmen

t.

Edu

cato

rs m

ove

beyo

nd ‘P

akeh

a’ w

ays

to e

ngag

e w

ith

wha

nau

Mao

ri in

way

s th

at f

oste

r a

clim

ate

of

colla

bora

tion

and

gen

uine

pow

er s

hari

ng.

Edu

cato

rs p

lan

and

impl

emen

t pr

ogra

mm

es t

hat

resp

ond

to t

he n

eeds

and

asp

irat

ions

of

wha

nau

Mao

ri.

Wha

nau

are

visi

bly

pres

ent

in t

he s

ervi

ce. T

here

is m

utua

l tru

st a

nd c

onfi

denc

e be

twee

n w

hana

u an

d ed

ucat

ors.

Inte

rgen

erat

iona

l inv

olve

men

t of

wha

nau

is e

vide

nt. F

or e

xam

ple

Nan

ny, K

oro,

Aun

ties

, Unc

les

etc.

An

atm

osph

ere

of m

utua

l res

pect

and

val

uing

of

Mao

ri is

pre

sent

in t

he s

ervi

ce.

Wha

t do

es t

he s

ervi

ce

know

abo

ut it

s co

mm

unit

y?

How

wel

l pos

itio

ned

is t

he s

ervi

ce t

o en

cour

age

and

supp

ort

Mao

ri p

arti

cipa

tion

in

the

serv

ice?

Man

ager

s an

d ed

ucat

ors

have

a g

ood

know

ledg

e of

the

ir c

omm

unit

y.

The

y ha

ve w

ell d

evel

oped

pol

icy

and

proc

edur

e fo

r ap

prop

riat

ely

supp

orti

ng t

he in

duct

ion

and

orie

ntat

ion

of M

aori

chi

ldre

n an

d th

eir

wha

nau

into

the

ser

vice

.


Page 24

inve

stig

ativ

e Pr

om

pts

Bes

t Pr

acti

ce i

nd

icat

ors

Eva

lua

tiv

E Q

uES

tiO

N 3

to w

hat

ext

ent

do

es t

he

serv

ice

wo

rk

in p

artn

ersh

ip

wit

h w

han

au o

f M

aori

ch

ildre

n?

How

has

sel

f re

view

be

en u

sed

to e

nhan

ce

part

ners

hip

wit

h w

hana

u M

aori

?

Man

ager

s an

d ed

ucat

ors

regu

larl

y re

view

cen

tre

prac

tice

s an

d ch

alle

nge

thei

r ow

n as

sum

ptio

ns. T

hey

also

rev

iew

the

impa

ct o

f st

rate

gies

on

Mao

ri c

hild

ren

and

thei

r w

hana

u, a

nd m

ake

chan

ges

as a

re

sult

.

Edu

cato

rs e

nsur

e th

at w

hana

u ha

ve e

quit

able

opp

ortu

niti

es t

o be

invo

lved

in t

he s

ervi

ce.

Edu

cato

rs in

volv

e w

hana

u in

mea

ning

ful a

nd a

ppro

pria

te d

ecis

ion-

mak

ing

proc

esse

s. M

aori

as

pira

tion

s an

d ex

pect

atio

ns a

re e

vide

nt in

the

gui

ding

doc

umen

t of

the

ser

vice

eg,

phi

loso

phy,

st

rate

gic

and

annu

al p

lann

ing,

sel

f re

view

.

Wha

t do

es t

he s

ervi

ce

know

abo

ut w

hana

u as

pira

tion

s fo

r th

eir

child

/chi

ldre

n?

Edu

cato

rs m

ake

tim

e to

tal

k w

ith

wha

nau

to f

ind

out

abou

t as

pira

tion

s an

d ex

pect

atio

ns.

Edu

cato

rs u

nder

stan

d th

at w

hana

u as

pira

tion

s ar

e pe

rson

al a

nd t

hey

susp

end

judg

emen

ts.

Edu

cato

rs k

now

abo

ut a

nd v

alue

the

asp

irat

ions

of

wha

nau

Mao

ri.

Edu

cato

rs d

emon

stra

te k

now

ledg

e th

at m

eani

ngfu

l rel

atio

nshi

ps e

mbe

dded

are

at

the

hear

t of

pe

dago

gica

l pra

ctic

e.

Wha

t do

es t

he s

ervi

ce

know

abo

ut t

he

atte

ndan

ce o

f M

aori

ch

ildre

n?

Wha

t do

es t

he s

ervi

ce

know

abo

ut M

aori

ch

ildre

n w

ho le

ave

the

serv

ice

befo

re t

urni

ng

five

?

How

has

the

ser

vice

re

spon

ded

to t

he

info

rmat

ion?

Man

ager

s an

d ed

ucat

ors

anal

yse

and

revi

ew a

tten

danc

e da

ta f

or M

aori

chi

ldre

n. T

hey

iden

tify

tre

nds

and

patt

erns

and

see

k to

und

erst

and

thes

e.

Man

ager

s an

d ed

ucat

ors

use

atte

ndan

ce d

ata

anal

ysis

to

info

rm t

heir

sel

f re

view

of

thei

r re

lati

onsh

ips

and

part

ners

hip

wit

h w

hana

u M

aori

.


Page 25

inve

stig

ativ

e Pr

om

pts

Bes

t Pr

acti

ce i

nd

icat

ors

Eva

lua

tiv

E Q

uES

tiO

N 3

to w

hat

ext

ent

do

es t

he

serv

ice

wo

rk

in p

artn

ersh

ip

wit

h w

han

au o

f M

aori

ch

ildre

n?

Wha

t op

port

unit

ies

do w

hana

u ha

ve

to p

arti

cipa

te in

co

nver

sati

ons

abou

t th

eir

child

’s le

arni

ng

and

deve

lopm

ent?

Edu

cato

rs in

volv

e w

hana

u in

ass

essm

ent

in m

eani

ngfu

l way

s; c

o-co

nstr

ucti

on o

f le

arni

ng o

utco

mes

is

evid

ent.

Edu

cato

rs r

efle

ct o

n M

aori

chi

ldre

n’s

cult

ural

iden

tity

whe

n as

sess

ing

lear

ning

and

dev

elop

men

t.

Edu

cato

rs d

emon

stra

te t

hat

they

kno

w a

bout

and

use

Mao

ri p

edag

ogy.

Edu

cato

rs in

volv

e te

ache

rs, w

hana

u an

d th

e ch

ild in

ass

essm

ent.

Edu

cato

rs d

evel

op c

olla

bora

tive

app

roac

hes

to w

orki

ng w

ith

wha

nau.

Edu

cato

rs v

alue

wha

t w

hana

u br

ing

in m

eani

ngfu

l way

s.

Edu

cato

rs p

rovi

de a

var

iety

of

entr

y po

ints

for

wha

nau

to p

arti

cipa

te in

ass

essm

ent,

the

y m

inim

ise

barr

iers

.

How

doe

s th

e se

rvic

e in

clud

e w

hana

u in

the

pr

ogra

mm

e?

How

doe

s th

e pr

ogra

mm

e re

flec

t M

aori

lang

uage

, cu

ltur

e, h

isto

ry, v

alue

s an

d pr

acti

ces?

Edu

cato

rs in

volv

e w

hana

u (e

g. K

aum

atua

) in

the

pro

gram

me.

Edu

cato

rs a

re o

pen

to t

he e

xper

tise

of

othe

rs a

nd v

alue

list

enin

g an

d fa

ce-t

o-fa

ce c

omm

unic

atio

n.

Edu

cato

rs a

nd w

hana

u de

cide

on

appr

opri

ate

cont

exts

for

lear

ning

tog

ethe

r.

Edu

cato

rs s

uppo

rt w

hana

u to

con

trib

ute

thei

r sk

ills

and

know

ledg

e.

Edu

cato

rs d

emon

stra

te a

goo

d un

ders

tand

ing

of M

aori

val

ues,

bel

iefs

and

pra

ctic

es.

Edu

cato

rs a

re a

war

e of

and

val

ue t

he s

peci

fic

lang

uage

, ide

ntit

y, r

oles

and

res

pons

ibili

ties

of

the

tang

ata

whe

nua

in t

heir

are

a.

Edu

cato

rs li

sten

and

acc

ept

Mao

ri c

hild

ren

as t

hey

are

– no

n-ju

dgem

enta

l. T

hey

are

resp

ectf

ul o

f w

hat

wha

nau

Mao

ri w

ant

for

thei

r ch

ildre

n an

d re

spon

d ac

cord

ingl

y.

Edu

cato

rs e

ncou

rage

wha

nau

to t

ake

lead

ersh

ip r

oles

whe

re a

ppro

pria

te.

Wha

nau

have

a s

tron

g se

nse

of b

elon

ging

and

con

trib

utio

n to

the

ser

vice

.


Page 26

Resources used to inform indicators1. The Philosophy of Te Whatu Pokeka – Rita Walker(Ministry of Education, 2009)

2. Whakawhanaungatanga: partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood education and care – Jenny Ritchie and Cheryl Rau(Ritchie & Rau, 2005b)

3. Te Puawaitanga: Partnerships with tamariki and whanau in bicultural early childhood education and care – Jenny Ritchie and Cheryl Rau(Ritchie & Rau, 2005a)

4. Strengthening responsive and reciprocal relationships in a whanau tangata centre – Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips and Margaret Carr(Phillips & Carr, 2006)

5. Pages 5–27 Success for Maori children in Early Childhood Services May 2010 (Good practice)(Ministry of Education, 2009)

6. Pages 45–49 and 55–58 of Success for Maori children in Early Childhood Services May 2010

7. Pages 40–43 and 54–63 Te Whariki(Ministry of Education, 1996)

8. Poipoia te tamaiti kia tu tangata: identity, belonging and transition (Ritchie & Rau, 2010)

9. Weaving Te Whariki (Nuttall, 2003)

References for indicatorsMinistry of Education, T. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki matauranga ma nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education, T. (2009). Te Whatu Pokeka: kaupapa Maori assessment for learning early childhood exemplars. Wellington.

Nuttall, J. (2003). Weaving Te Whariki: Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum document in theory and practice. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

Phillips, J. C., & Carr, M. (2006). Strengthening responsive and reiciprocal relationships in a whanau tangata centre: an action research project. Teaching and Learning Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/strengthening-responsive-and-reciprocal-relationships/

Ritchie, J., & Rau, C. (2005a). Te Puawaitanga – Partnerships with tamariki and whanau in bicultural early childhood care and education. Teaching and Learning Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/Te-Puawaitanga/

Ritchie, J., & Rau, C. (2005b). Whakawhanaungatanga-Partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood care and education. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/whakawhanaungatanga-partnership-in-bicultural-development

Ritchie, J., & Rau, C. (2010). Poipoia te tamaiti kia ta tangata: Identity, belonging and transition. The first years: Nga tau tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 12 (1), 22.


Page 27

appendix 3: Self-review tool for Partnership with Whanau

theme Self-review questions

Culture of the service

•To what extent does the service recognise and build on the knowledge and expertise Maori children and their whanau bring to the service?

Service philosophy

•How well are the aspirations and goals of whanau understood by educators and reflected in the learning of Maori children?

•To what extent does the service value and implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles?

Self-review •To what extent are whanau involved in the self review of the service?

•How responsive is the service to the diverse aspirations and goals of Maori children and their whanau?

Professional leadership

•How confident is the service’s leadership in building and maintaining effective partnerships with whanau?

•What professional learning and development would support the service’s leaders and educators to build effective partnerships with whanau?

Te Ao Maori •To what extent is Maori language, culture and identity integrated in daily interactions?

Whanau connections

•What do services know about how whanau view the effectiveness of the service in supporting their aspirations for language, culture and identity?

Utilising Maori expertise

•How well does the service access and use expertise on Maori language, culture and identity?

•How well are non-Maori educators developing the skills to effectively engage with different whanau?

App

End

Ix 3


Page 28

appendix 4: glossary

te Reo Maori English Meaning

iwi wider kinship group

manaakitanga show respect or kindness, an ethic of care

tangata whenua indigenous people, Maori

te Ao Maori the Maori world

Te reo Maori Maori language

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Treaty of Waitangi

tikanga customary practices

waiata songs

whakapapa genealogy

whakawhanaungatanga creating relationships

whanau nuclear or extended family

whanaungatanga relationships, sense of family

whariki woven mat

App

End

Ix 4


Page 29

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